The Day That Everybody Dreads
by Tobiiiaaas
Summary: Harry is everything to Joseph. But when Harry is seriously injured at home, will Joseph face losing his only son?
1. Chapter 1

'**PART ONE'**

Joseph Byrne looked down at his son, his eyes glinting with overwhelming proudness. Harry was sleeping, his chest moving up and down like a perfect rhythm. Joseph felt a warm glow in his heart as he watched. He sighed and fell back into the armchair behind him. He felt droopy. Harry had kept him up for hours and Joseph desperately needed some sleep. Now that Harry had finally drifted off, Joseph felt his eyes close...Harry began to cry. Screaming as loud as his little lungs could, Harry was beside himself. Joseph dragged himself from the chair and bent down to scoop up Harry in his arms. He started to sing a quiet lullaby to sooth Harry into sleep. Harry continued to scream and cry. Joseph continued singing in a soft, exhausted voice. Finally, the song took its effect on Harry. The cries began to subside and moments later peace descended upon the Byrne household once more. Joseph replaced Harry into his cot, whispering words of good night in his ear. Tiredness overcame him. Joseph slumped back in the chair and slept. Only hours later, he was woken once more. Joseph drew back the curtains letting the warm sunshine wash over the room. Harry was crying. Joseph left the room and walked quickly to the kitchen. Searching the fridge he brought out Harry's bottle for the morning and returned to the nursery. Joseph placed Harry onto his lap and began to feed him. As if like magic, the cries eventually disappeared. Joseph laid Harry back down in his cot and walked back to the kitchen, holding the now empty bottle in his hand. He set the bottle down in the sink and turned on the taps. Reaching down into the cupboard under the sink, Joseph got out the dishcloth and began to scrub at the insides of the bottle. As ever meticulous, Joseph ensured that no section of the bottle retained any hint of grubbiness. He rinsed out the bottle. He scrubbed at it again. Rinse, scrub, rinse, scrub, rinse, scrub. Joseph was finally satisfied. He dried the bottle with the tea-towel and set it to stand on the side. He looked up at the calendar on the wall. Today was his first day back in the thick of things at Holby City. It had been several months since the terrible incident that had shook the hospital, claiming countless lives. Now finally fully rebuilt, Joseph had been persuaded by Jac Naylor to return to his old position on Darwin that he had given up around this time last year. Joseph smiled, he couldn't believe that Harry was over a year old. How the time flew when you loved someone. His mobile began to ring. Joseph answered it with a yawn.

"Hey Joseph?" It was Mandy Fletcher, the babysitter he always used to look after Harry when Joseph was at work for long periods of time.

"Mandy, hello," Joseph said, trying and failing to suppress another yawn.

"Sounds as if Harry's kept you up most of the night," Mandy said.

"With a vengeance," Joseph replied. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"I know this is such short notice and I feel awful for it, but something's come up. I can't look after little Harry today."

"I see," Joseph said flatly.

"It's just my mum's been taken ill, I need to be with her," Mandy continued.

"I quite understand, you have to be with your mother. Don't worry, I'm sure I can find someone else."

"I can personally recommend a friend of mine. Alice Thomas. Her number is..." Mandy gave Joseph Alice's number.

"Thank you. I'll give her a ring." Joseph hung up. He dialled the number into his mobile and pressed ring. Alice answered instantly.

"Hello, Alice Thomas here."

"Hello, it's Joseph Byrne here. I'm looking for a babysitter for today and I was recommended to you by Mandy Fletcher."

"Well you've come to the right person Mr. Byrne," Alice said brightly. "When do you need me?"

"As soon as ideally. I have to be at work by nine-thirty."

"Absolutely."

"Hold on, I'll just give you the address..."

"Does anyone know if Joseph's come in yet?" Jac asked interestedly. Greg Douglas looked up at her.

"He's due in, in ten minutes," Greg said. Jac nodded and started to walk away. "And thank you too Miss Naylor," Greg mumbled. Jac took no notice but instead busied herself with the nearest patient assigned to her.

"So Mr. Jacobs," Jac asked. Mr. Jacobs swallowed nervously.

"Please...call me Derek," he said, his arm twitching.

"Right, Derek. You were admitted with acute chest pains. We're going to run an ECG." Jac looked over to the nurse assisting her. The nurse, nodding, left to acquire the ECG.

"You...think I had a heart attack," Derek gulped.

"It's distinctly possible Derek but we'll know more after the ECG."

"Will I need an operation?"

"We'll see."

Joseph took the lift to Darwin, his mood significantly elated by the prospect of his first day working with Jac in a long, long while. He didn't care what was presented to him today, nothing could spoil his mood. The lift shuddered to a halt and with the monotonous cry of,

"Doors Opening," the doors opened. Joseph stepped through onto the ward.

"You made it at last Mr. Byrne," Elliot said, grinning. He gave Joseph a welcome back hug.

"It's good to see you Mr. Hope," Joseph smiled.

"How's little Harry?"

"Oh you know, demanding," Joseph said with a wink.

"Just you wait, Joseph. You've got the joys of teenage to come." Joseph laughed.

"There's a while to go before that."

"It'll hit you sooner than you think. One minute James and Martha were still kids, the next..." Elliot sighed.

"Have you seen Jac at all?"

"Yes, I believe she's on a break at the moment. Try the staff room," Elliot told him. Joseph nodded and left in the direction of the staff room.

Alice rung her hands through her hair and cried out. The struggle of looking after Harry was becoming impossible. Alice was young, inexperienced, she tried everything she could. But it was never enough. The stress of her job was getting to her. She was a wreck. She placed Harry on the kitchen table and turned away from him. Harry pounded the table with his fists. Alice ignored him, her head throbbing. Harry began to scream. Alice felt her fists clenching. Her heart thumped. If only he would stop this incessant crying! He didn't. Alice turned to face him. She picked him up and tried to rock him to sleep. Harry would not obey, he just cried and cried.

"What do you want?" Alice yelled at him. "I've fed you, I've changed you, I've done everything!" Alice laid Harry down on the edge of the table. She turned away again, shaking. Harry was crying his eyes out. Alice covered her face with her hands and groaned. Why did she still pretend she could look after other people's children? It was too much for her. Far too much. Alice was deep in thought. She didn't notice the silence that now hung over the room. She didn't notice until it was too late. Alice turned around. Harry wasn't on the table. Her heart beat fast. She looked down. Harry lay unmoving on the tiled floor. He wasn't breathing. Alice could see blood. She felt numb all over. Her mind raced. Her heart beat faster and faster. Louder and louder. Her hands shook. She was frozen to the spot.

Joseph took a sip of coffee. Jac smiled at him. Joseph caught her eye, absentmindedly spilling part of his coffee over the table. Jac sniggered. Joseph lifted up the mug and wiped the table with a wet cloth.

"Ever the cleaner," Jac told him dryly.

"It would be remiss of me to leave it like that." Joseph said quietly.

"How've you been?" Jac asked.

"Good, thank you. What about you?"

"Never better," Jac said, looking at her feet.

"You sure?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem a little distracted."

"It's been a stressful week okay?"

"Tell me about it," Joseph said thoughtfully.

"Maybe next time, I'm due back on the ward," Jac was doing her best to avoid the issue. Before Joseph could protest, however, Jac's pager beeped. She finished her coffee and left. Joseph took another sip.

Elliot approached Jac. He looked grim. His face ashen. Jac surveyed him with a cautious look.

"Jeez, who did you kill?"

"Now is not the time for jokes Miss Naylor," Elliot said softly.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. What's the matter?"

"It's Harry..." Elliot stopped suddenly. Jac's eyes narrowed.

"What about him?" Elliot said nothing. "Elliot, has something happened to Harry?" The continued silence was deafening. "Tell me!" Jac shouted.

"Tell her what?" Jac turned her head. Joseph was standing there. "What about Harry?" Joseph pressed, his voice cracking. "What has happened to my son?"

"Joseph," Elliot said quietly. He was looking straight past Joseph. "We don't know."

"Where is he?"

"ITU...Joseph, you have to keep calm. Don't do anything stupid!" Joseph ignored him. He turned away and ran. "Go after him," Elliot told Jac.

Joseph was running. So fast. Never-stopping. Corridor, after corridor, never-stopping. Where was he? Where was his son? He skidded into ITU, his heart fell. Harry was strapped into so many tubes, the heart monitor beeping regularly. Jac came up behind him. She placed her hand on his back. Joseph turned to face her. His eyes were hollow.

"What's happened Jac?" he asked slowly. "What's happened to my son?"

"I don't know..."

"Save him, please." Joseph took hold of Jac's hand and squeezed it sadly. Jac said nothing.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter 2

'**PART TWO'**

_"BP's dropping! We have to get him into theatre now!" _Joseph stood watching, feeling helpless. He stared as Jac and Michael wheeled Harry out of ITU and into theatre. He couldn't move. The shock was too much. His eyes met the clock. Harry would be under the knife by now. His hands began to tremble, his lips quivering. The time kept ticking, even though for Joseph all else had stopped. Time stopped for no man, he thought. Time ticked on.

_"Joseph..." _The words went straight through him. _"Joseph..." _He just stared. _"Joseph, please listen to me..." _He blinked, still staring. _"The operation went well..." _The words echoed around his mind. _"It's just a waiting game now..." _Jac turned away, leaving Joseph to his thoughts. She began to walk.

"Thank you..." Jac smiled to herself and left the room.

"He hasn't left Harry's side for hours," Elliot said. Jac looked over at Joseph who sat silently beside Harry.

"I know. We can hardly make him though," Jac sighed.

"That's not what I mean. I worry that the stress is getting to him..."

"I'll speak to him." Elliot smiled weakly.

"These are sad times Jac. Joseph will need all the support you can give to get through this."

"I know..." Jac was quiet, subdued almost. A sense of absolute dread hung over the entire hospital. Elliot calmly moved off in the direction of Darwin, leaving Jac alone with Joseph and Harry. Jac walked over to Joseph. She held his hand warmly. "How is he?" she asked.

"Surviving..."

"That's good then?"

"It's still touch and go..." Joseph's eyes were blotchy, bags lay under them and his voice croaked.

"Come on, you need to rest."

"I can't leave him..."

"He's safe. Joseph, you need to take care of yourself for Harry's sake." Joseph turned to look into Jac's eyes, his face growing ever more pale and hollow.

"I can't Jac. I just can't. If anything happened to him..."

"It won't."

"I'd never forgive myself..." Joseph felt a tear drop from his eyes. Jac caught it in her hand. Joseph shut his eyes, thinking. He opened them again. "There's one thing no one's told me..."

"What do you mean?"

"Where was Alice when Harry was brought in?"

"Alice? Am I supposed to be psychic Joseph?"

"The babysitter..."

"I thought you used someone called Mandy?"

"She had to cancel...She recommended Alice..." Jac thought back to when Harry had been brought in.

"She left..."

"Find her, Jac, please..." Jac nodded.

"Of course I will, you just get some rest..." Jac let go of Joseph's hand, watching it fall limply by his side. Joseph was a broken man. The least Jac could do was to find Alice and try to restore some sense of sanity into his life. It hurt her deeply to see him act like this, but, Jac thought, there really is nothing quite as savage as a parent's love for their child. She left the room.

Alice was sitting on a bench outside the Hospital Entrance. She had thought about leaving, of running away but something was stopping her. Guilt? Alice wasn't sure what it was. How could she have let this happen? Harry had been fine, he was sitting on the table...She searched her mind, throwing it back to the moment the incident had happened. What had she been doing? She'd been looking after Harry, trying to make him sleep...yes she felt sure of this. That was exactly what she'd been doing. Or was it? The more she thought, the more she doubted herself. She rung her hands through her hair.

"Alice?" Alice looked up to see Jac Naylor looming over her.

"Y...yes..." Alice said trembling, eyeing Jac with a wary look.

"Jac Naylor, I'm a friend of Joseph Byrne." Alice's eyes widened.

"I see."

"He wanted me to have a word with you."

"Right..."

"About Harry?"

"Oh yeah...of course." Jac viewed her suspiciously. She sat down beside her.

"What happened?" Jac cut to the chase. Alice was looking at her feet, unnerved.

"I...I..."

"Are you capable of normal speech?" Jac said before she could control herself. Alice went white. Jac attempted to change tact. "Please Alice, Joseph's doing himself harm with all the worry. What happened?"

"I was looking after him. I don't know."

"That's not good enough, you were the only one there!"

"I don't know! He was fine."

"He's in ITU, does he seem fine to you?"

"He was fine." Alice repeated. "He was fine..." Jac realised she wasn't going to get any more out of her for the time being. Leaving Alice to ponder the events, Jac got up and walked away.

Harry's heart monitor beeped regularly. Joseph still sat beside him Elliot watched him from behind the glass windows, his face etched with sad concern. Michael Spence walked up to Elliot silently. Elliot turned to face him. Michael stared at Joseph through the glass.

"Poor man," he said in his strong American accent. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my kids..."

"I don't think he's coping."

"Did you? When Martha was shot." Elliot was reminded of the crossbow incident over three years ago.

"I guess not." Michael said nothing, he opened the door and walked inside. Joseph didn't move.

"How are you Joseph?" Michael asked.

"You know how I am..." Joseph said softly. "My child is lying in intensive care due to who knows what..."

"About that. I have an idea as to what may have caused this."

"Go on..."

"His injuries are consistent with a fall of some height, possibly from a table?" Joseph looked up at Michael, his brain working furiously.

"Do you think he was pushed?" Joseph asked.

"I'm not sure, the injuries seem more in keeping with a straight fall. Possibly an accident."

"You're not convinced?"

"That's not what I said Joseph. My training tells me it's most likely to be an accidental fall..."

"But you won't rule out foul play?"

"Joseph what do you want from this? Someone to blame? You think if you can hold someone responsible you'll feel less guilty is that it?"

"No...of course not. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed." Michael smiled.

"Don't worry, you're a parent. I probably would have acted just like you if it were one of mine."

"How is he?" Joseph turned the subject back to Harry's medical care.

"He's stable. We're going to keep an eye on him, give him regular obs. Right now it's just a waiting game. He got through theatre okay, the next twenty-four hours are crucial."

Alice could hear Harry screaming. Everywhere she turned, there he was, bawling his eyes out. Why wouldn't he stop? What did he want from her? The crying never ceased. Inside her mind, constant, never-ending, mind-numbing, screams. Alice clapped her hands to her ears and shouted aloud,

"What do you want from me?"

'**TO BE CONTINUED' **


	3. Chapter 3

'**PART THREE'**

Alice was shaking uncontrollably, her whole body shifting. The sound of baby screams pounding her insides. Her eyes streamed, everything ached. She began to see double. Then her vision turned fuzzy. She felt sick. Clutching her stomach queasily, Alice leant forward and vomited all over the ground. She staggered back. The vomited again. She tasted blood. Peering down at the sick coating the ground, Alice was started to see tiny specks of blood illuminating it. She felt a sharp pain in her head and then nothing. Alice was falling backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thump.

Jac stood immersed in thought outside the Wyvern Wing Entrance. The last time she had checked, Harry'd been fine yet she still couldn't help but worry. Joseph was tearing himself apart up there and nothing anybody said to him seemed to make the blindest bit of difference. As she stared into the distance Jac saw Alice fall to the ground. She ran towards her.

"I need some help here!" Jac shouted authoritatively. Alice was foaming at the mouth and convulsing with tiny speckles of blood shining in the sun. "Can you hear me?" Jac asked as she waited for help to arrive. Alice could not. Her pupils were fixed and dilated, her body still shaking unnaturally. Jac rolled her into the recovery position, looked up and called again. "I need some help over here!" At once Elliot and Greg responded, dashing over to Jac, concern etched across both their faces.

"What happened?" Elliot asked breathlessly. He took a quick puff of his inhaler, to prevent any risk of an angina attack.

"She collapsed," Jac told him.

"Let's get her inside," Greg said abruptly. "One, two, three." On three, they lifted Alice up off the ground and carried her slowly inside the Hospital. Once inside, they placed her down upon the nearest spare trolley and wheeled her into AAU.

"This is Alice, found collapsed outside Wyvern, cause unknown," Jac told Michael.

"Right thank you Miss Naylor, I'll take it from here," Michael said.

"Have you seen Joseph recently?" Jac asked.

"About half an hour ago," Michael replied.

"Is he alright?"

"He's coping. Why don't you go see him yourself?" Jac nodded curtly and left without speaking.

Joseph tapped his fingers against the side of his chair over and over again. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap tap, tap. He didn't even realise he was doing it. Absentmindedly as he watched Harry, fast asleep, connected to all the machinery. The door swung open with a small creak. Joseph looked up, his fingers still tapping. Jac strode over to him. Joseph recognised the look on her face. It was her, "I've got something you might not like to hear to tell you look," and sure enough as she reached him, she said,

"I've got something to tell you."

"I thought so," Joseph said dryly.

"Am I that obvious?"

"No...no of course not," Joseph backtracked bravely. "What is it?"

"It's Alice..." Joseph's nostrils flared angrily. "She collapsed outside."

"What's wrong with her?"

"We don't know yet." Joseph shrugged.

"Harry's my priority right now."

"Joseph, she's seriously ill. What happened to Harry might not be entirely her fault!"

"I don't have time for this now Jac, I need to be with Harry," Joseph implored her.

"I just thought you should know. How is he?"

"Stable. There's been no change for a good number of hours now," Joseph told her.

"So you're out of the woods?"

"In another twelve hours we will be I hope," Joseph said quietly. Jac smiled and turned to leave. "Jac?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Joseph said sincerely.

"What for?"

"Being here..." Jac nodded and walked away, her eyes filling with tears.

"I've got the results of your CT scan," Michael told Alice forlornly. "I'm afraid it's not good news." Alice was woozy, her head ached horribly and she felt continually sick.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked nervously. Michael took a deep breath and told her.

"I'm afraid the scan showed up a large tumour on your brain."

"Is it operable?" Alice asked, frightened.

"I'm afraid not. The condition is terminal."

"Is there anything you can do?"

"At best we can prescribe you drugs to slow down the process but we're looking at minimal extra time. I know it's hard."

"How long do I have?"

"Weeks, maybe a month at most." Alice felt tears fall down her cheeks as she took in the information, her mind shocked beyond its limit.

"Oh God..." she said. "What do I do, I'm not prepared..."

"Nobody is. All you can do is gather your family, make sure someone is there for you..."

"Oh God...Harry..."

"I'm sorry?" Michael asked.

"Harry!" Alice said sharply.

"Joseph's son?"

"That's right, I was supposed to be looking after him. I only turned away for a second...but my head was killing me...Was it the tumour Mr. Spence?"

"It's likely that the tumour has been causing your headaches lately, yes." Alice whimpered.

"What am I going to do? Is Harry okay?"

"He's stable, I can't tell you anything more."

"I would never have accepted the work if I'd known I was ill..."

"It's no use looking to the past, you have to accept what happened. It was an accident." Alice turned her head away from Michael and began to cry silently into her pillow. Michael walked away, feeling uncomfortable. It was never easy, delivering bad news to patients. But it was a fact of life.

'**TO BE CONTINUED..."**


	4. Chapter 4

**PART FOUR**

Harry slept peacefully, his minute chest rising up and down like a perfect rhythm. Everything was as it should be. In a few more hours he would be able to go home. Joseph peered down at Harry, watching him sleep silently. The door opened behind him and Michael walked in. Joseph nodded curtly.

"Joseph, can I have a word?"

"Can't it wait?"

"It's about Alice," Michael said slowly. The sound of her name made Joseph suddenly regain interest in other matters. He turned to look at Michael.

"A quick word then," Joseph said softly. Michael closed the door to ITU so that no one could hear him.

"What happened to Harry may not be entirely her fault," Michael began, working up slowly to the big news.

"How do you mean, she neglected him!" Joseph said, anger rising in his heart.

"Joseph!" Michael said warningly. "Alice has stage four brain cancer, there's no hope of survival." Joseph couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"I need to see her," he said promptly.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Michael hinted. "She's in a really bad way..." Joseph took notice and walked hurriedly out of ITU leaving Michael to sigh exasperatedly.

Alice lay in bed completely silently. There were no more tears, nothing left to do. She looked at the IV drip attached to her and checking to see that no one was watching her, she carefully pulled the drip out of her. With one last check around her, she pulled off the equipment attached to her finger and climbed cautiously out of bed. Breathing heavily and rugged, she walked slowly away from the ward unnoticed by anyone. As she closed the heavy door behind her, she could just make out the silhouette of Joseph rush onto the ward. She sighed with relief, the last thing she needed was a row with him right now. She walked on. Her head was killing her but Alice somehow no longer seemed to care. The Doctors had given her the options and as far as she could work out, there was only one route truly open to her. She shivered at the thought of it. Looking up at the direction signs all around her, she searched for the quickest way to the roof. She found it. A wave of pain shook her body, Alice scrunched up her eyes for a few seconds before moving on up the cold dark stairs. It was exceptionally cold, she pondered as she climbed up step after step. Her whole body was wet with cold sweat and her teeth chattered abnormally.

"Where is she?" Joseph shouted urgently. The Ward Sister nearest shook her head confusedly.

"Where's who?"

"Alice, the patient who should be in this bed!" The Ward Sister stared down at the bed and then comprehension dawned. "She's gone hasn't she?" Joseph said.

"I only checked on her five minutes ago, she can't have got far," the Ward Sister said determinedly. "We'll find her."

"I'll have a scout around myself," Joseph said calmly. He left abruptly. The Ward Sister tutted at his retreating figure.

"Doctors," she said under breath. "Where is Mr. Spence?" she called loudly. A staff nurse responded instantly.

"He's up on Holby Care."

"Ah, his one true love..."

Alice stood in the cold breeze of the outside on the dull grey rooftop of the hospital. She was shivering more and more now. She took a step to the edge of the roof and peered down at the car park that lay far, far below. She squinted, her eyes had caught something shining on the ground, an old red stain, almost like years old blood that had never quite been fully cleaned up. She convulsed. The wind was really beginning to pick up and Alice could feel it on every inch of her frail body. She gathered all of her will power and pushed one foot out over the rooftop, letting it hang limply in the free air. She tried to bring her other leg over, to end it all, but she could not do it. Every time she tried her leg just refused to budge. Resignedly, she replaced her other leg back to safety. Her head gave another unbearable twinge of pain and she found herself falling backwards to the ground behind her.

Joseph glanced carefully at the floor. There appeared to be tiny speckles of blood leading in a jagged line all the way from AAU, into the corridor and up the stairs at the far end. It was a long shot, but Joseph decided this was his best option. He began to race. Halfway up the stairs a door swung open at the top and Jac Naylor appeared. She was looking utterly exhausted.

"Joseph?"

"I can't stop now...sorry Jac..."

"What's going on?" Jac called after a disappearing Joseph.

"It's Alice, I think she's gone up to the roof!" Joseph shouted back. Jac thought about this for a split-second.

"I'm coming with you!" She yelled. Not waiting for a response, Jac ran after Joseph.

Alice pulled herself back up off the floor and walked towards the edge once more. As she prepared herself to jump to her certain death, the door to the roof flew open behind her with an almighty bang.

"Alice!" Joseph called her urgently. "Get down from there, we need to talk!"

"There's nothing else to say, you blame me for Harry's accident, I get that. Please go away!"

"I know it was an accident! I know you didn't neglect him!" Joseph tried to reason with her. "Please, you don't want to end your life this way!"

"Don't tell me what I don't want to do!" Alice yelled. "There's nothing left for me!"

"There's always something left!" Joseph pressed.

"There is no cure! That doctor told me so. I'm just going to deteriorate into a whimpering wreck of a woman before finally dying in agony anyway!"

"What about your family?"

"There's no one. I don't want to die not able to fend for myself in some god forsaken nursing home. I want to go with dignity, whilst I still can." The door behind them opened again and Jac climbed cautiously out on to the roof.

"Do you know what will happen if you jump?" Jac said sternly. Alice shook her head, scared. "Your body will hit the ground below with such force that your insides will be utterly scrambled. Your head will cave in on itself and every bone in your body broken. Trust me, it's not a pretty sight."

"I don't care. I'll be dead."

"Ah but you see. You might not die straight away. You'll lie there in extreme agony, helpless."

"You don't scare me," Alice shouted, undeniably terrified.

"I'm not trying to scare you, just giving you the facts as I see them."

"Please Alice, do you really want to do this?" Joseph pleaded. Alice tried to speak, but no words came out. She peered down at the ground below and with one last sigh of regret she stepped down to safety. "Thank you," Joseph said to her. "Let's get you back to your bed..." Alice nodded uncertainly. Jac and Joseph turned to walk back to the rooftop door. Seizing her final chance, Alice turned back to the edge. Before either Joseph or Jac could stop her she was running. Joseph shouted desperately. "Alice!" But to no avail. This time the fear of death did not stop her. Alice came to the edge and she jumped. She fell through the air like a slow glider, the rush of the wind all around her. For her last seconds on earth, she felt at peace, elated. Then her body smacked catastrophically into the cold hard ground. Dead. Jac and Joseph looked down in horror, watching the deep red blood flow unrestrained, out of Alice's broken skull. Her eyes were wide, staring up lifelessly. Joseph's hand shook. Jac placed her arm around him.

"She wanted to die, Joseph. We would never have persuaded her otherwise."

"I know..."

"Come on, let's get down from here. Go see Harry." Joseph nodded. They exited the rooftop, closing the door silently behind them.

"I'm sorry," Michael said quietly.

"What for?" Joseph asked.

"I should never have told you about Alice..."

"If you hadn't I'd still be blaming her for Harry..."

"If I hadn't you wouldn't have seen her jump."

"She wanted to die. There was nothing we could have done," Joseph sighed resignedly. "How's Harry doing?"

"He's good to go home. Tough kid your Harry," Michael said proudly.

"Thank you Michael." Joseph picked up Harry in his arms. He looked to the door. Jac stood waiting just outside. He smiled. Jac smiled back. Joseph walked towards her. Michael stared after them.

"Take care Joseph..." He returned to his work, a childlike grin etched across his face.

**THE END **


End file.
